Oak Hill Beverage

Store

29 Gorham Rd, Ste E
Scarborough, Maine, 04074
United States

(207) 883-3965 | map
oakhillbeverage.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.15
Reviews:
17
Ratings:
24
pDev:
10.6%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Pip_Count_167
Reviewed by Pip_Count_167 from Maine

4.87/5  rDev +17.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75
One of the best beer selections in the area; you'll have to go into Portland to do better. Everything Maine, tons of other New England, including breweries I don't see at other stores. Someone's doing a great job finding good beers. Fantastic import selection too. First time I went I had already loaded up on domestics, then saw the German shelf and doubled my purchase.
Nov 16, 2023
 
Rated: 4.81 by erlenmeyer from Maine

Jun 07, 2018
 
Rated: 4.29 by tlavarea from Maine

Mar 07, 2018
 
Rated: 4.64 by coombski from Maine

Oct 22, 2016
Photo of PelagicZone
Reviewed by PelagicZone from Maine

4.97/5  rDev +19.8%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Robert Denton has really brought his A-game to this store. The selection is incredible and growing every day. We are living in great times here in Maine and Oak Hill is really one of the finest examples of bringing all of the variety and choices that we have to the people of Scarborough and beyond. I have lived in Scarborough for 20 years and Oak Hill was always my go-to store. If you haven't been here yet, I think you will be very satisfied with the selection and service. It is time that more folks review Oak Hill because it is a much different place than when Paul owned it. If you are driving all the way over to Portland to find the best beer in Maine, you owe it to yourself to get to Oak Hill for the convenience, selection and service. While Maine is producing an incredible variety of beers these days, Robert has done an amazing job of keeping the choices fresh with beers from all over the country. Oh, they have wine there too.
Sep 29, 2016
 
Rated: 4.07 by thoglund from New York

Jul 10, 2016
Photo of Elsuperjefe
Rated by Elsuperjefe from Virginia

4.64/5  rDev +11.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
Large selection... of local and east coast. Owner is remarkably friendly and knowledgable. Excellent.
Aug 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4.2 by Reds76 from Maine

Nov 09, 2014
Photo of DinoBlueShoes
Reviewed by DinoBlueShoes from Maine

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%
Oakhill was sold to a new owner in March and he seems to be more of a beer guy. Over the summer the selection had expanded a lot and there is a great supply of craft beers now from bombers to cases. They also have organized a good international collection.

Worth checking out if you have not been in a while.
Oct 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by ChrisinRI from Rhode Island

Sep 01, 2014
Photo of MaineDave01
Reviewed by MaineDave01 from Maine

3.61/5  rDev -13%
vibe: 2 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
Mostly echo the reviews here. Not a bad place to go if you are in the area and if you are looking for better known craft brews. It truly is very disorganized and hard to move around in. Product is just piled up in random places!

Real enthusiasts will prefer the Bier Cellar - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29199/view=beerfly where you can build your own sixpacks and the owner is like a walking beer encyclopedia.

Anyone not from immediate Scarborough/Saco will find similar selection and pricing at RSVP.
Jun 04, 2013
Photo of Jeffers
Reviewed by Jeffers from Maine

3.31/5  rDev -20.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 2.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
Tucked in behind McDonald's on Route 1, it's easy to miss this place. The owner Paul is a wine guy, but stocks a good selection of beer too. A few homebrew supplies, but freshness is questionable.

A) Well lit, clean store. Plenty of space to move around and browse the selection. Pretty much everything is clearly priced.

Q) Have noticed a few past date beers on the shelves. Apparently the Harpoon rep doesn't check the dates on the Leviathan Imperial IPAs, which are on the shelf and almost a year past their "best by" date

S) The owner is a wine guy, and can easily help you with any wine questions. With beer, you might be on your own. The store staff has always been friendly.

S) Pretty good selection of locals and regional beers. I don't think they get a lot of the uber rares, except for the bottle of Utopias sitting on the front counter.

V) The prices seem fair, and in line of other beer stores in the area.
May 07, 2011
Photo of deltatauhobbit
Reviewed by deltatauhobbit from Maine

4/5  rDev -3.6%
It's about time I made my way over here, quite surprised by it to say the least, much bigger than it appears.

The selection is rather good (great local and regional selection but slightly less varied in the import department). While the selection is great, the set-up is awkward. They have a good portion near the front while the majority is out back, just seems a bit unorganized, especially since the locals and imports each split up in two parts.

For the homebrewer, they have from what I can tell a good selection of supplies and a decent amount of beer and wine making kits and other accessories.

The service, well, they're there. Can't really say much at this point, maybe upon subsequent visits I'll get a better grasp, but so far it seems more like convenience store service, just there.
Jun 12, 2010
Photo of indiapaleale
Reviewed by indiapaleale from Maine

3.65/5  rDev -12%
Oak Hill has some good things going for it and some bad things...

Good Things:

- Looking for Maine beers? Look no further, this place is better than Downeast for Maine brewed beers. They have all the Bar Harbor stuff as well as Allagash and others.

- Bomber selection, very good here. Check the coolers up front.

- They have homebrew supplies in the back. Not a great amount but they do have them.

- Good selection of cold six packs, in the back

- Smutty Big Beer case is in the back so you can usually find some of the new and old offerings.

BAD STUFF:

- Sort of all over when it comes to warm micros in the back. A sort of strange set up that I've never understood. Part of it is not easily accesible..

- old stuff, I bought a 3 year old bottle of beer here that was in the cooler

- staff knows pretty much nothing about beer.

- not easy to find unless you know where you are going.
Mar 21, 2009
Photo of brewandbbq
Reviewed by brewandbbq from New Hampshire

3.6/5  rDev -13.3%
Oak Hill is a suburb of Scarborough, just south of Portland.
Easy access off the turnpike and easier off of Rt 1(near the intersection of Rt 1 and 114, kind of hidden behind the Oak Hill Plaza).
Small place with low ceilings, lots of wine, beer in the back with a smattering of homebrew supplies and a corona mill.
Not much in the cooler and a few shelves.
Maine micros represented well and some Belgians, as well as the more popular micros. Kind of dusty on many bottles and while the prices looked decent, they weren't any better than RSVP.
In fact the Allagash White was $9.74 after deposit and tax.
I was hoping it would be less, but the shelf was not tagged.
I think the White has become way overpriced anywhere you go, anyways.
They had not gotten in any Allagash 10th Anniversary ale as of last Saturday, so I had to pick up my stash at RSVP.
Next time I'll just go to RSVP.
I had heard that this place had better prices, but I did not see that.
Nice enough guy asked if he could help us, and said he was waiting for the 'gash.
Jun 30, 2005
Photo of pelle79
Reviewed by pelle79 from Connecticut

4.65/5  rDev +12%
Living in Connecticut and planning a party in Maine can be rather difficult. After scouring different beer stores I came across Oak Hill and saw the decent reviews. I contacted them and explained my situation. I am throwing a party for some college freinds and I wanted to treat them to some local flavor. I asked Paul (the owner) if he had a listing of available selections and he just laughed. If it exists he can get it. I opted for a 1/4 of Gritty's Vacation Land and 1/6 of Sebago Boathouse Brown. He said no problem. One week later I get a call from Paul and everything is in. I have nothing but the highest praise for him.
Jun 16, 2005
Photo of BillyBrew
Reviewed by BillyBrew from Maine

4.15/5  rDev 0%
A beer and wine store with homebrewing supplies! My new favorite place! Just roam around and enjoy.

About as nice an atmosphere as RSVP (read: old concrete garage), but well worth the experience. Pretty good selection of wines, as my fiance said. Regular collection of macros and a thorough selection of of Maine beers in the coolers. Also fair collection of tastey Euro beers over a few shelves.

But what makes this place so great are the brewing and wine making supplies. Mostly kits and canned malts, but other supplies for enough brewing variety.

Very helpful staff makes this place well worth the time to visit (the buliding is BEHIND Oak Hill Plaza, so do not give up)

-Cheers!
May 07, 2005
Photo of mdavis31481
Reviewed by mdavis31481 from Maine

4.15/5  rDev 0%
Despite living in Scarborough for twelve years, I had not come to appreciate Oak Hill Beverage until recently. I always viewed the store with a bit of disdain and preferred to battle parking issues in Portland or traffic in Wells to patronize the more aesthetically pleasing Downeast Beverage or Tully's, respectively. I realize now I underestimated this fine establishment.

As you enter the store, the counter is to the right and coolers full of water, soda, juice, and various other non-alcoholic beverages populate the left wall. Walking towards the rear of the store where the beer is stored you pass a few shelves of pint glasses. To the right is a fine selection of wine. Before arriving at the rear coolers filled with macro products and the requisite Maine microbrews (Shipyard, Geary's, Casco Bay, Gritty's, Carrabassett, etc.), you come upon a selection of beers including Westmalle, Samuel Smith's, Unibroue, Ommegang, Allagash (I realize this is also a Maine brew), Duvel, Anchor, Sierra Nevada, and Dogfish Head, among others. This represents one of the more extensive beer selections you can hope to find in Maine.

The atmosphere leaves much to be desired, but Oak Hill Beverage is a perfect example of beer utilitarianism. It is well worth a stop if you are in the Greater Portland area and not up to the challenge of Old Port parking.
Oct 22, 2004
Photo of yankeeheel
Reviewed by yankeeheel from Maine

3.7/5  rDev -10.8%
After seeing all the nice reviews of this place I had to take a little cruise and check it out and I'm glad I did. Not much going on in the way of atmosphere but who cares? It has all the local goodies such as Allagash, Geary's, Gritty's, etc.. Import wise they had a scant few belgians and the usual variety of Sam Smith, Bellhaven, and the like. Friendly salespeople, low prices, and good beer make this a winner for me. The only downside is that they won't let you break up sixes. I wound up with a six of Magic Hat, a twelve of Smuttynose, and a Ayinger single.

I'll be back soon.
Jan 21, 2004
Photo of ViveLaChouffe
Reviewed by ViveLaChouffe from Georgia

3.85/5  rDev -7.2%
Prices were surprisingly good in this little place. Lots of Maine brews as you would expect. Allagash, Gritty's, Sea Dog, Shipyard, Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Casco Bay, Carrabasset among others. Some Belgians carried as well. Young's and Samuel Smith represented. Ayinger (I got some Celebrator) and Spaten.
Magic Hat, Smuttynose and Long Trail also. Too much to list.

Service was OK. They asked if I needed help and got me a box to load up with. Everything that needed to be was fresh. You get the feeling that the place is very hit and miss in what it gets so you could find some surprises here. Didn't look but I didn't see any homebrew stuff. I wonder if they carry it anymore.
Dec 01, 2003
Photo of ecoboy
Reviewed by ecoboy from Rhode Island

3.65/5  rDev -12%
The selection rating is purely based upon what else I can find in the Portland area. This is not some huge well-lit overstocked beer haven. It is a respectable outlet for beer with plenty of local choices. Scarborough is one of the more well-heeled towns in Maine. The prices are about as low as one might pay for Maine micros anywhere else. I actually get a kick out of the musty basement feel of the place. Fans of garage sales where they scoop up hidden treasure may find they experience that feeling at Oak Hill.
Jul 24, 2003
Photo of charlesw
Reviewed by charlesw from New York

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
Desperate times call for desperate measures! It was the middle of Spring Break and I killed a batch of yeast (don't ask!) and I was frantic! Where the heck do you get yeast near Portland, Maine? Several other localish homebrew (dedicated homebrew) shops were closed for the holiday (sigh) but good old Oak Hill was open!

The homebrew section of the store is on 20' or so of one wall. This includes a good deal of single-stage, plastic bucket starter kits, some 5l mini-keg systems (and spare kegs), and extract kits. There is (yeah!) a fridge with hops and yeast. I suppose that the selection of yeast is variable, but when I went there were 1 or 2 pouches each of around 10 kinds of wyeast. The dates of manufacture of the yeasts that interested me the most were reasonable enough for my liking (maybe 6 weeks old on the one I ended up taking).

I figured what the heck and took some hops for dry-hopping as well.

The counter help didn't seem to know a thing about brewing but they were VERY ready to get in or even start carrying anything that the customer might want in the way of supplies or ingredients.

So, for now I'll continue to use them for emergencies. If I lived a little closer, I might try to expand their selection some, but it seems perfectly adequate for an extract brewer.

----

Edit: Well, they carry the Smutty Big series - nice! And I've gotten to where they are pretty much my yeast source - but I still buy my ingredients elsewhere. Good prices on gear - like carboys. Lots of doodads and doohickeys that you like to have around for brewing...

----

Edit 2: Wow. Like, they had some old yeast (8 month old smack packs) in the fridge and I asked about it and they just gave it to me! Like, wow!
If you spend more than $10 they'll give you the paper.
The owners are pretty up on things and stuff and willing (eager?) to special order stuff if they can get it. Very nice. Too bad it's so freaking far away!
May 29, 2003
Photo of bennybrew
Reviewed by bennybrew from Maine

4.15/5  rDev 0%
this is quite a store. along the right wall is a selection of wines. in the back wall is a cooler with half macros and half micros. in the middle of the store there are several shelves with many many maine micros as well as many imports. there was a shelf of british isles beers and another with some belgians, belgian style (unibroue), and more german beers than i've seen anywhere else in maine. prices were good and no beers i looked at were out of date.

on the left there wa also homebrew supplies! an all in one store.
May 27, 2003
Photo of MaineBeerMan
Reviewed by MaineBeerMan from Maine

4/5  rDev -3.6%
Oak Hill is a good sized beer and liquor store that is just off of route one in Scarborough. The beer selection is pretty good, with a nice mix of beer from Maine, U.S. micros, and a fair amount of imports.
I don't go here for the beers though, this is where I get my homebrew supplies, of which the selection is OK for a beginner such as myself.
A small, but good selection of equipment kits along with a bit of extra equipment will get you started, there is usually a special running that lets you get a discount on your first ingredients when buying an equipment kit.
As far as ingredients go you will do all right as long as you aren't looking for to make an all grain brew, extract is the thing in this place. They do have a fridge full of Wyeast in most available varieties, and will order somthing special on request.
Service is good, although the knowledge of the salespeople is hit or miss, depending on who's working that day, but I'm willing to accept that since they are primarily a beer and liquor store with brewing only as an afterthought.
Pricing on the beers and the homebrew supplies is average for the area, some places have a few things for less than here, but sometimes I'll pay more for convenience.
Feb 02, 2003
Oak Hill Beverage in Scarborough, ME
Place rating: 4.15 out of 5 with 24 ratings